The Fox and The Woodcutter
A woodcutter helps a fox hide but secretly points out its hiding place. What do you think the fox felt afterward?
Once upon a time, a fox was running through the forest, trying to escape from hunters and their barking dogs. His heart beat fast as he searched for a place to hide. Then, he spotted a small house.
A kind woodcutter stood by the door, looking surprised as the frightened fox ran toward him.
“Please help me!” the fox begged.
The woodcutter felt sorry for the fox. He nodded and pointed to a dark corner inside. “Hide there,” he whispered.
A moment later, the hunters arrived. They knocked on the door and asked, “Have you seen a fox come this way?”
The woodcutter didn’t want to betray the fox, but he was also afraid to lie. So he said, “No, I haven’t seen a fox,” but at the same time, he made a small hand movement, pointing toward the fox’s hiding place.
Luckily, the hunters didn’t notice. “Thank you!” they said and hurried back into the forest to continue their search.
When the hunters were gone, the fox stepped out of his hiding place. He started walking away without saying anything.
Surprised, the woodcutter asked, “Aren’t you going to thank me for helping you?”
The fox turned and said, “If you really wanted to help me, you wouldn’t have pointed to where I was hiding.” Then, without another word, he ran back into the woods, leaving the woodcutter deep in thought.
Featured in the Book Audio available for B1 version
Once upon a time, a fox was running through the forest, trying to escape from hunters and their barking dogs.
His heart beat fast as he searched for a place to hide.
Then, he spotted a small house.
A kind woodcutter stood by the door, looking surprised as the frightened fox ran toward him.
“Please help me!” the fox begged.
The woodcutter felt sorry for the fox.
He nodded and pointed to a dark corner inside.
“Hide there,” he whispered.
A moment later, the hunters arrived.
They knocked on the door and asked, “Have you seen a fox come this way?”
The woodcutter didn’t want to betray the fox, but he was also afraid to lie.
So he said, “No, I haven’t seen a fox,” but at the same time, he made a small hand movement, pointing toward the fox’s hiding place.
Luckily, the hunters didn’t notice. “Thank you!” they said and hurried back into the forest to continue their search.
When the hunters were gone, the fox stepped out of his hiding place.
He started walking away without saying anything.
Surprised, the woodcutter asked, “Aren’t you going to thank me for helping you?”
The fox turned and said, “If you really wanted to help me, you wouldn’t have pointed to where I was hiding.”
Then, without another word, he ran back into the woods, leaving the woodcutter deep in thought.
في يوم من الأيام، كان هناك ثعلب ذكي يهرب من بعض الصيادين وكلابهم. كان الثعلب بحاجة إلى الهروب، فركض إلى بيت حطاب قريب. كان الحطاب رجلاً طيباً وشعر بالأسف على الثعلب الخائف. أخبر الحطاب الثعلب أن يختبئ في بيته.
بعد قليل، جاء الصيادون وطرقوا باب الحطاب. سألوا إذا كان قد رأى الثعلب. لم يرغب الحطاب في كسر وعده للثعلب، لكنه أيضاً لم يرغب في الكذب. فقال إنه لم يرَ الثعلب، ولكنه في نفس الوقت أشار خلسة إلى المكان الذي كان يختبئ فيه الثعلب. لم يفهم الصيادون تلميحه وشكروا الحطاب قبل أن يغادروا للبحث في مكان آخر.
عندما أصبح الأمر آمناً، خرج الثعلب، جاهزاً للمغادرة. توقع الحطاب أن يقول الثعلب شكراً، لكن الثعلب بدأ في السير بعيداً. تفاجأ الحطاب وسأل الثعلب لماذا لم يشكره على المساعدة.
قال الثعلب، "إذا كنت حقاً تريد مساعدتي، لما أعطيت أي تلميحات عن مكاني للصيادين." بعد قول هذا، عاد الثعلب إلى الغابة، تاركاً الحطاب يفكر في ما فعله.
Es war einmal ein schlauer Fuchs, der vor ein paar Jägern und ihren Hunden davonlief. Der Fuchs musste fliehen, also rannte er in das Haus eines Holzfällers in der Nähe. Der Holzfäller war ein freundlicher Mann und hatte Mitleid mit dem verängstigten Fuchs. Er sagte dem Fuchs, er solle sich in seinem Haus verstecken.
Bald darauf kamen die Jäger und klopften an die Tür des Holzfällers. Sie fragten, ob er den Fuchs gesehen hätte. Der Holzfäller wollte sein Versprechen gegenüber dem Fuchs nicht brechen, aber er wollte auch nicht lügen. Also sagte er, er habe den Fuchs nicht gesehen, zeigte aber gleichzeitig heimlich auf den Ort, wo sich der Fuchs versteckte. Die Jäger verstanden den Hinweis nicht, bedankten sich beim Holzfäller und gingen weiter, um woanders zu suchen.
Als es wieder sicher war, kam der Fuchs heraus und wollte gehen. Der Holzfäller erwartete, dass der Fuchs sich bei ihm bedankte, aber der Fuchs machte sich einfach auf den Weg. Der Holzfäller war überrascht und fragte den Fuchs, warum er sich nicht für die Hilfe bedankte.
Der Fuchs sagte: „Wenn du mir wirklich helfen wolltest, hättest du den Jägern keine Hinweise gegeben, wo ich mich versteckt habe.“ Nach diesen Worten ging der Fuchs zurück in den Wald und der Holzfäller dachte darüber nach, was er getan hatte.
एक समय की बात है, एक चालाक लोमड़ी कुछ शिकारियों और उनके कुत्तों से बचने के लिए भाग रही थी। लोमड़ी को छिपने की जगह चाहिए थी, इसलिए वह पास ही के एक लकड़हारे के घर में घुस गई। लकड़हारा एक दयालु व्यक्ति था और डर से कांप रही लोमड़ी पर उसे तरस आ गया। उसने लोमड़ी से कहा कि वह उसके घर में छिप सकती है।
थोड़ी ही देर में शिकारी वहाँ पहुँचे और लकड़हारे के दरवाजे पर दस्तक दी। उन्होंने पूछा कि क्या उसने लोमड़ी को देखा है। लकड़हारे ने लोमड़ी से किया वादा तोड़ना नहीं चाहता था, लेकिन वह झूठ भी नहीं बोलना चाहता था। इसलिए उसने कहा कि उसने लोमड़ी को नहीं देखा, पर उसी समय उसने चुपके से इशारा भी किया कि लोमड़ी कहाँ छिपी हुई है। शिकारी उसके संकेत को नहीं समझ पाए और लकड़हारे को धन्यवाद कहकर दूसरी जगह तलाशने चले गए।
जब सब कुछ ठीक हो गया और खतरा टल गया, तब लोमड़ी बाहर निकली और जाने के लिए तैयार हो गई। लकड़हारे को लगा कि लोमड़ी उसे धन्यवाद कहेगी, लेकिन लोमड़ी चुपचाप जाने लगी। लकड़हारा हैरान होकर बोला, "तुमने मुझे मेरी मदद के बदले धन्यवाद क्यों नहीं कहा?"
लोमड़ी ने कहा, "अगर तुम सच में मेरी मदद करना चाहते थे, तो तुमने शिकारीयों को कोई संकेत ही नहीं दिया होता कि मैं कहाँ छिपी थी।" यह कहकर लोमड़ी वापस जंगल की ओर चली गई, और लकड़हारा अपने किये पर सोचता रह गया।
Det var en gång några jägare som jagade en listig räv med sina hundar. Räven var tvungen att fly, så han sprang in i ett hus där det bodde en vedhuggare. Hans hus låg nära skogen. Vedhuggaren var en snäll man som kände medlidande med den skrämda räven. Han sa åt räven att gömma sig i hans hus.
Snart kom jägarna och knackade på vedhuggarens dörr. De frågade om han hade sett räven. Vedhuggaren ville inte bryta sitt löfte till räven, men han ville inte heller ljuga. Så han sa att han inte hade sett räven, men samtidigt pekade han i smyg på platsen där räven gömde sig. Jägarna förstod inte vad han menade och tackade vedhuggaren innan de gick vidare för att leta någon annanstans.
När det var säkert kom räven ut, redo att ge sig av. Vedhuggaren förväntade sig att räven skulle tacka honom, men räven började bara gå sin väg. Förvånad frågade vedhuggaren varför räven inte tackade för hjälpen.
Räven svarade: "Om du verkligen ville hjälpa mig, hade du inte gett jägarna några ledtrådar om var jag gömde mig." Efter att ha sagt detta sprang räven tillbaka in i skogen, och vedhuggaren blev kvar och funderade över vad han hade gjort.
从前，有一只聪明的狐狸，它正在逃避猎人和猎狗的追捕。狐狸急需找到藏身之处，于是它跑进了附近一个樵夫的家里。樵夫是个好心人，看见这只受惊的狐狸，心生怜悯，于是让狐狸躲进了他的屋子。
没过多久，猎人们就来到了樵夫的门前，敲门问他是否见过狐狸。樵夫不想违背对狐狸的承诺，但他也不想撒谎。他告诉猎人自己没有见过狐狸，可是同时，他又悄悄地用手指向了狐狸藏身的地方。猎人们没有注意到他的暗示，向樵夫道谢后便去别的地方寻找狐狸了。
当危险过去后，狐狸从藏身处走了出来，准备离开。樵夫以为狐狸会向他说谢谢，但狐狸却径直离开了。樵夫感到奇怪，便问狐狸为什么不感谢他的帮助。
狐狸回答说：“如果你真的想帮我，你就不会向猎人暗示我藏在哪里。”说完，狐狸便走进了森林，只留下樵夫独自思考他的所作所为。
Kwathi ke kaloku, impungutye yayibaleka ehlathini, izama uqhweshwa kubazingeli nezinja zabo ezazikhonkotha. Intliziyo yayo yabetha ngamandla njengoko yayikhangela indawo yokuzimela. Ke wabona indlu encinci.
Umgawuli onobubele wema ngasemnyango, ebonakala emangalisiwe njengoko impungutye eyayisoyika ibaleka isiza ngakuye.
"Ndicela undincede!" yacenga impungutye.
Umgawuli waba nosizi ngempungutye. Wanqwala, wakhomba ngaphakathi kwikona emnyama. “Zimela apha,” wasebeza.
Emva komzuzwana, bafika abazingeli. Bankqonkqoza emnyango babuza, “Khange ubone impungutye isiza ngapha?”
Umgawuli akazange afune ukungcatsha impungutye, kodwa wayesoyika nokuxoka. Ngoko wathi, “Hayi, andikhange ndibone mpungutye,” kodwa kwangaxeshanye, wenza intshukumo encinane yesandla, ekhomba kwindawo eyayizimele kuyo impungutye.
Ngethamsanqa, abazingeli abazange baqaphele. "Enkosi!" batsho bengxamile babuyela ehlathini ukuze baqhubeke nokukhangela.
Bakuba bemkile abazingeli, impungutye yaphuma apho yayizimele khona. Yavela yahamba ingathethanga nto. Emangalisiwe umgawuli wabuza, “ Awuzondibulela ngokukunceda?”
Impungutye yajika yathi, “Ukuba ngenene ubufuna ukundinceda, ngewungazange ukhombe apho bendizimele khona.” Akhange iphinde ithethe nto impungutye, yasuka yabaleka yabuyela ehlathini. Washiyeka umgawuli ecinga nzulu.
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Word Finder
Hunters
People who catch animals in the forest.Barking
Loud sounds dogs make with their mouths.Spotted
Saw something quickly and noticed it.Frightened
Feeling very scared or afraid.Betray
To hurt someone who trusts you.Whispered
Spoke very softly and quietly.Luckily
Happened in a good or lucky way.Hurried
Moved fast to go somewhere quickly.Stepped
Moved forward by taking a step.Thought
Ideas or feelings inside the mind.
Understanding Questions
- Why was the fox running through the forest at the beginning of the story?
- What did the woodcutter do when the fox asked for help?
- How did the woodcutter try to answer the hunters' question without lying?
- Why was the fox unhappy with the woodcutter after the hunters left?
- What did the fox do at the end of the story?
Reflection Questions
- Why did the fox run into the woodcutter’s house?
- What did the woodcutter do when the hunters asked if he had seen the fox?
- Why was the fox not thankful?
- How could the woodcutter have managed the situation differently?
- Why is it important to be honest and thoughtful?
Fable Quotes
Honesty is the best policy.
Trust is a precious gem, handle it with care, for once broken, its sparkle dims.
Deception can promise safety, but truth holds the key to trust.
Just One More Fable
- Problem-Solving
- Respect
Anansi and the Tug of War
Anansi, a clever little spider, challenges Elephant and Hippo to a tug-of-war. Can his wit win against strength in the jungle?
- Teamwork
- Equality
The Lion Going to War
A lion assigns every animal a task to protect the forest, showing that everyone has a unique talent.
- Responsibility
- Wisdom
The Fox and The Bramble
A cunning Fox fell into a Bramble, blaming it for his pain, but realized it was his own fault for not being careful.
- Arrogance
- Caution
The Wolf Admiring his Shadow
A boastful Wolf, enamored by his grand shadow, fails to notice a lurking Lion and falls victim to his own vanity.
Read it on paper, too
“The Fox and The Woodcutter” is one of the 25 illustrated fables in our book, 25 Fables for Fun Quality Time.
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